Electrical measuring instrument



April 13 1926. Y k|-l. P. SPARKESl ELECTRICALMEAWRING INSTRUMENT Fird Nav-f2s., 1921 ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 13, 1926.

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

HARRY 1. SPARKES, 0F WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 WESTING- HOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURINGCOMPANY, A `CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VANIA.

' ELECTRICAL MEASURING INSTRUMENT.

Appncation iednevember 29, 1921. seriai No. 518,739.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY P. SPARKES, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of lVilkinsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electrical Measuring Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to electrical measuring instruments and particularly to power-V factor meters.

One object of my invention is to provide a polyphase power-factor meter that shall operate correct-ly on a circuit having unbalanced phases. l

Another object of my invention is to provide a .polyphase power-factor meter that shall embody only one movable element and that shall have stationary elements, for actu ating the same, so arranged as to eEect interacting iuxes free of physical errors.

Heretofore, certain power-factor meters have been provided for polyphase circuits but, by reason of the inability thereof to indicate correctly under unbalanced phase conditions, they have been of very limited service. l A

In practicing my invention, I provide a single meter comprising an element responsive to the power component of a circuit and a second' element responsive to the reactive component of the circuit. These elements are arranged to oppose each other and to so control an electro-responsive device, in circuit with one of the same, as to give a correct indication of the power factor of the circuit being measured, irrespective of unbalanced conditions in the latter.

The single figure of the accompanying drawing is a diagrammatic view of a powerfactor meter embodying my invention and the circuit thereof.

A me er 1, of the Kelvin-balance type, comprises movable current coils 2 and 3, two sets of stationary reactive-component voltage coils 4 and 5 and two sets of stationary power-component voltage coils 6 and 7.

The current coils 2 and 3 have a common lead 8 connecting the same to one terminal of each of the current transformers 9 and 10 that are associated, respectively, with two phases of a three-phase .circuit 11, and

leads 12 kand 13 that are connected to the other terminals of the transformers 9 and 10.

The stationary reactive-component voltage coils 4 are connected in series relation to each other across taps 14 and 15 of a transformer 16, and the stationary reactive-com ponent voltage coils 5 are similarly connected across taps 17`and 18 of the transformer 16. The stationary power-component voltage coils Glare connected, through a slide resistor 19 and a sliding' Contact member 20, between taps 21 and 22 of the transformer 16, and the stationary power-component voltage coils 7 are similarily connected through a slide resistor 23 and a sliding contact member 24, between the tap 21 and a tap 25 of thetransformer 16.

It has been found that a transformer or reactor having taps brought out at 57.1 /0 100% and 115.4% yof the normal voltage will give the desired connections to provide voltages substantially o out of phase with each other. That is, the voltage from the 115.4% point or tap 15 of the transformer 16 to the 57.7% point tap 18 thereof is'equal to' y agesY of two of the phases of the circuit 11.

To avoid physical errors caused by airgap resistance and unbalanced fluxes, the coils 4 and 6 are arranged so that one of the coils 4 is placed next adjacent to the movable coil 2 at one side of thelatter, with one of the coils 6 disposed beyond the coil 4, and one of the coils 6 is placed next adjacent to the coil 2 at the other side of the latter,

with the other `c oil 4 disposed beyond the latter coil' 6. Similarly,.the coils 5 and 7 are alternatelydisposedvon each side of the movable current coil 3.

Q raso/iso The sliding Contact members 2O and 2-1@ are actuated in a usual and Well known manner, as by a separately-energiZed motor 27 which operates a Worm screw 28 and is controlled by contact members 29 ot the Kelvin balance 1.

1n operation, the coils 2 and 3 are aiiected in accordance With the differential etiect between the fluxes ot the power and reactive component coils, and this etect may be made equal at any desired povver actor. in

the power factor chances- 't'rom the preydetermined value, the sliding.;` Contact members 2O and 2e will be moved along the resirrors 1D and' a distance proportional to the change in power factor. This movement so changes the current in` the powercomponent voltage coils 6 and 7 as to again balance the interacting fluxes of the coils 2, 3, 11:, 5, 6 and 7 and the sliding` contact member will come to rest.

Since it requires a predetermined amount ot resistance to counteract the change in tlur; caused by the change in power factor, the value ot the resistance, and, consequently, the degree of increment or the sliding contactineinbers may be taken as a measure ot the power factor of the circuit i. T he sliding contact members may be provided with a pointer or a stylus (not shown) to indicate or record the changes in power tactor.

llJhile have shown and described a particular form oi my invention, changes may be elilected therein Without depart-ing from the spirit and scope ther-ect, as set tort-h in the appended claims.

YV hat l cla-im as my invention is:

l'. The combination with a flux-responsive element, oiC means 'tor affecting the same in accordance with the resultant oit a plurality ot fluxes comprising` groups ot linx-supplying elements adjacent to opposite sides of the flux-responsive element, each element ol' each ,group being` energized similarly to an clement ot the other and the elements oi' each group being arranged in predetermined order relative to the correspondingl elements ot the. other group to provide an accurately balanced actuating;` linx for said responsive element.

2. ln a power-factor meter, the combination lwith a movable current coil, of a pair ot power-component coils and a pair ot reactive component coils arranged With one coil of each pair on each side of said current coil, a power-component coil being next to the current coil at one side and a reactive, component coil being next to the current coil at the other side.

ln a power-factor meter, the combination with a. movable current coil, 01"' a pair oit power-component coils and a pair of reactive component coils arranged With one Ienergization in accordance with one quantity ot a circuit, ci a structure comprising two pairs ot cio-operating elements disposed one pair on each side Oi' said lirst element with one element of each pair adjacent to said irst element between the latter' and the other element ot the pair, the adjacent elements or said structure on opposite sides of said `firstelement being Jrior energiZatic-n in accordance with quantities of the circuit ii'erent from each other and from the first `ty and cach outer element ot said icrure being for energization by one of said second quantities ditte-rent from the quantity of its corresponding adjacent element.

t n electrical measuringl instrument comprising movable coil for energization in accordance with one quantity of a` circuit and two pairs of stationary coils disposed one pair on each side or" said movable coil with one coil of cach pair adjacentto the movable coil between the latter and the other stationary coil oi the pair, the adjacent coils on opposite sides ot the movable coil being i'or energization in accordance with qiuintities oi' the circuit dii'l'erent from each other and from the `first said quantity, and each outer coil being` for energiZat-ion by one oic said second quantities different from the quantity of its corresponding adjacent coil.

(3. in electrical measuring' instrument coinprising;` a `Kelvin balance embodying tivo movable coils for energizat-ion in accordance with the current ot a circuit and tour pairs of stationary coils disposed one pair on each side ot each movable coil with one coil ot each pair adjacent to its corresponding movable coil between the latter and the other stationary coil ot the pair, the adjacent coils on opposite sides ot' one movable coil being' for energization in accordance With the power and reactive-component voltages, respectively, ot the circuit and the outer coils thereotl being for energization in accordance with the reactive and powercomponent voltages, respectively, in the order named, and the stationary coils for cooperation with the other movable coil beine' for similar energization and arrangement iiiversely to said order.

1n testimony whereof, l have hereunto subscribed my name this 16th day of November 1921.

HARRY P. 'SPARKES lio 

